On the future of art

Everyone has hardships, even those with the happiest, most blessed lives. Everyone goes through things that nobody should have to go through. Everyone says and does things that haunt them. Everybody also has moments where they leap out of their skin and join with the universe.

Artists take life’s most vivid experiences and give expression to them so that their intensity does not fade with the moment. By observing and reflecting on their own experiences, they create a repository of hard-earned knowledge that others may draw on as they encounter similar things. This plays a vital role in preserving cultural memories, especially the kind that don’t easily fit into the arena of knowledge.

Someday soon enough machines will perfect artistic composition, and they may even learn to simulate observation and reflection very convincingly. The question then will be: Is this mere manipulation or has the value of art always just been as a catalyst that helps us remember what we too easily forget?

Ryan Melsom has a PhD in literary studies and has spent over twenty years working in communications, design, and writing. His third book Clickbait: A Seeker’s Guide to Meaning in the Modern World is now available everywhere. For more by Ryan, follow him on Twitter @ryanmelsom, or subscribe to his Facebook page.